Board or no Board?

Alderbank

Sapindus said:

A more indirect advantage of having a board - it benefits the estate agency and raises their profile.  Which in turn has a tiny effect on their advertising budget and therefore your costs, and may benefit others who are trying to sell their house - people passing through think "that agent has quite a few houses for sale round here, we'll check out their website."

Not really, if an agent has lots of unsold properties it sends a negative message that they are overpriced and/or the agent just isn't very good at closing sales.
What the agent likes is lots of 'sold' signs around.
As soon as they have a buyer they will be round with the 'sold' flash to go on the for sale board, and be in no hurry to take the board away.
I have even known agents to ask sellers who refused a for sale board whether they can put a 'sold' board up while the sale is going through.

baser999

Many moons ago I had the EA knock £50 off their costs for having a board. I took the view that it was acting as good advertising for them

ReadingTim

If it can't be zip tied to a drainpipe, gate, fence or set of railings on or opposite the property, they usually nail it into the mortar between the bricks rather than drill holes in the bricks themselves, so there's little damage.  

badmemory

Just make sure you tell all the neighbours. They will want someone "compatable" to move in so they will tell people.  Whilst I was taking the EA around my mother's & he was dong photos he had one on the phone & one calling at the door.  The neighbours knew it was going to be up for sale & they saw the EA there.